Book rack attachment for chairs



Dec. 13, 1966 A. F. KRUEGER BOOK RACK ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1965 AWE/woe 4.4/50 F/KW/E ER Dec. 13, 1966 A. F. KRUEGER 3,291,521

BOOK RACK ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS Filed Aug. 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet United States Patent 3,291,521 BOOK RACK ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS Allison F Krueger, 226 Miramar Drive, Green Bay, Wis. Filed Aug. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 482,516 9 Claims. (Cl. 297188) This present application is a continuation in pant of my application 186,296, filed April 3, 1962. Application 186,296 was a continuation of an earlier applieation 785,399, filed by me Jan. 7, 1959, and now aband-oned.

This invention relates to a book rack attachment for chairs. In its preferred embodiment, the attachment comprises a trough-like rack with open ends and designed for ready application to the rear of a folding chair for the support of hymnals or other books.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a folding chair having upon it the preferred embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a view on a smaller scale showing the same chair as it appears when folded.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged 'elevati-onal view fragmentarily illustrating the chair and the attachment as viewed from the forward side of the rear legs of the chair.

FIG. 4 is a detail view taken in cross section on the plane indicated at 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of a chair upon which a modified embodiment of the attachment is mounted as disclosed in the parent application 186,296 above identified.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary large detail view partially in plan and partially in horizontal section, portions being broken away.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail view in elevation from the viewpoint indicated at 7-7 in FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 is a view in horizontal section in the plane indicated at 8-8 in FIG. 7.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is particularly designed for use in conjunction with a generally conventional folding chair of a type which has upper and lower rungs or cross bars 6 and 8 connecting at 'vertically spaced points the downwardly and rearwardly inclined legs 10.

The front legs 14 of the illustrated chair a e pivoted to the sides of the seat 16 at 22 and extend up above the seat to curve toward each other and constitute an integral back frame 17 into which a sheet metal back 18 may be set and fastened, as by welding the edges of the back 18 directed to the frame 17. The rear legs are pivoted to the seat 16 on a horizontal axis at 20 and the front legs 14 are pivoted to the seat on a horizontal axis 22. At each side there is a guide link 24 pivoted at 26 to the rear leg and at 28 to the front leg. It will be apparent that the four pivots 20, 22, 26 and 28 permit the components of the chair to move readily from the position of FIG. 1 to the position of FIG. 2.

A normal function of the attachment disclosed is to receive and hold one or more hymn books or the like together with a communion cup, a pencil, and a packet of address cards or collection envelops. The body of the book rack is an upwardly opening channel or trough of U-shaped cross section which may be made from a single piece of steel having a rear face 30, a semicircular bottom bight 32, and a front face 34, which may extend materially above the top of the rear face 30. The front and rear faces preferably have their upper edges beaded at 36.

Cross braces are provided at each upper corner of the rear face 30 to connect it rigidly to the front face Patented Dec. 13, 1966 ice 34. Each cross brace 38 has integral flanges 40 (FIGS. 4 and 8) welded to the front and rear faces. Brace 38 is reinforced and stiffened by a horizontal flange 42 at a level near the top of rear face 30. This flange is preferably apentured at 46 to receive a communion cup. This construction leaves both ends of the trough wide open so that any trace of litter or dust or other accumulations in the bottom of the trough can be quickly and easily swept out through the open ends.

Midway of the front face 30 I may provide a patch pocket 46 adapted to hold a small pencil and a supply of collection envelopes or address cards or the like. Referring for convenience to FIGS. 3, 4 and 8, the pocket has a plane rear face 48. Alon-g the ends of the face 48, end walls 50 are formed by bending the metal around the fold line at 52. These end walls are fastened to the front face 30 by flanges 54 welded to the front face 30 and formed by bending the metal along a fold line at 56. Similarly the bottom 58 of the pocket is formed by bending the metal '90" forward along a fold line :at 60.

Means are provided for detachably supporting the attachment on the chair. I have illustrated arouate brackets 76 affixed to the lower corners of the front face 34 in position to hook over the lower cross brace 10 to support the attachment against downward movement. To complete the releasable connection of the attachment to the chair, I provide one or more fastening devices such as clamps or brackets '80 for engagement with the top rung 6 of the rear legs of the chair. Each fastening device has a shank 82 with a slot 84 through which projects a stud 86 fastened to the front wall 34 and with which is engaged a wing nut or the like at 88 as a means of adj ustably securing the fastening device to the attachment with its extremity 9i) securely engaged with the rung. A hook is shown. It has been found in practice that a single such hook centrally positioned on the rack and engaged with the top rung is adequate (FIGS. 3 and 4).

The alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 inclusive is particularly designed for use with chairs having but one rung at 8 and lacking any top rung 6. The attachment per se with its supporting brackets 80 is precisely as hereinbefore described. For fixing the upper corners of the front face 34, I mount on the'front face lateral extensions 92 comprising spaced fingers 94, 96 between which the legs 10 are receivable as clearly shown in each of FIGS. 5 to 8. Preferably, each such extension is slotted at 98 to engage over a stud 100 upon which a Wing nut 102 is threaded (FIGS. 7 and 8). When the respective extensions are retracted, the attachment may readily be placed or removed. When the attachment is positioned on the lower rung 8 by means of brackets 76, the extensions may be projected laterally in opposite directions to engage the respective legs 10 and thereby to position the attachment on the chair.

As explained in the parent application above identified, the attachment preferably extends most of the way from leg to leg and thereby protects the cross brace or cross braces from children or other persons who might otherwise impose their weight thereon.

Despite the fact that the end walls are open to facilitate cleaning, leaving. no inaccessible corners, the braces 38 provide high strength and rigidity while permitting the use of very light sheet metal for the body of the trough.

It may be noted, as pointed out in my parent application, that because the bight 32 is semi-cylindrical books placed therein are protected against damage which might occur if the bottom were flat.

I claim:

1. A detachable book rack for a chair having rear legs and at least one connecting rung, said book rack comprising a trough opening upwardly and having spaced generally parallel front and rear walls and a connecting bight constituting a bottom at a level at which both ends of the trough are open, the walls and bottom being one continuous member and the front wall extending above said bottom to a height materially greater than that of the rear wall to guide into the trough the hand of a user behind the book rack, brace means connecting the front and rear walls at a level spaced substantially above the bight at the bottom of the trough and constituting sole means for keeping the upper portions of the front and rear walls rigidly spaced from each other, downwardly open brackets connected with a lower portion of the front wall of the trough and shaped to straddle the said rung of the chair fOiI' supporting the trough in pivotal relationship with the rung, and upper holding means releasably connecting an upper portion of the front wall of the trough with the chair for securing the trough detaohably against pivotal movement about said rung.

2. A detachable book rack according to claim 1 for use with a chair which has a second rung spaced above the first rung and extending transversely between said legs, the upper holding means of said book rack comprising at least one member adjustably connected with the forward wall of the book rack and having a portion spaced therefrom in confining engagement with the forward side of said upper rung at a level at which the forward wall of the book rack extends behind said upper rung.

3. A book rack according to claim 2 in which the upper holding means comprises a single centrally disposed hook element adapted to be engaged over said upper rung and having a slotted shank portion. for which the forward wall of the book rack provides a threaded stud having a nut engaged with said shank.

4. A book rack according to claim 1 in which the upper holding means comprises a pair of extensions attached to the front wall of the book rack and projecting laterally therefrom and comprising fingers spaced to receive and engage the respective legs of the chair with which the book rack is used, at least one of said extensions being adjustable laterally and having means for fixing it in such engagement.

5. A book rack according to claim 4 in which each extension has a gene-rally horizontal slot, and the means for fixing it in engagement with the chair leg comprises a threaded stud connected to the front wall of the book rack and a nut thereon for clamping the extension to the book rack.

6. A book rack according to claim 1 in which the upper portions of each of said front and rear walls have marginal beads of generally circular cross section respectively lying entirely outside of the trough and joining the plane portion of the respective wall tangentially.

7. A book rack according to claim 1 in which at least one such brace means includes a generally horizontal web having a cup-receiving aperture.

8. A book rack according to claim 1 in which each brace means has the form of a shallow upright channel with a vertical web portion and flanges extending outwardly toward the ends of the trough and welded to the firont and rear walls, said channel being spaced well ends of the trough unobstructed for cleaning.

9. A detachable book rack for a chair having rear legs and upper and lower :rungs extending transversely between said legs, said book rack comprising a trough opening upwardly and having a single continuous strip of metal constituting spaced generally parallel front and rear Walls and a connecting bight providing a bottom at a level at which .both ends of the trough are open, brace means rigidly connecting the front and rear walls in spaced relationship at a level spaced substantially above the bight 'at the bottom of the trough, downwardly open brackets connected with a lower portion of the front wall of the trough and shaped to straddle the lower rung of the chair for supporting the trough in pivotal relationship with the rung, and a vertically adjustable hook centrally disposed on the upper portion of the front wall of the trough :and having a slotted shank through which extends a threaded stud with which the front wall of the trough is provided, a nut on said stud being in clamping engagement with said shank to fix the adjustment of the hook with reference to the front wall and thereby to maintain said hook engaged over the upper rung of said ohair.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS B. 161,151 12/1950 Ackerman et a1. D571 2,433,202 12/1947 Crowg .a 23233 2,488,870 11/ 1949 Livingston 21188 2,547,620 4/ 1951 Capano 20641 2,706,517 4/1955 Dexter et al 297188 X 2,834,566 5/1958 Bower 248-300 X 2,841,210 7/1958 Nesselrodt 297191 2,841,211 7/1958 Thompson 29719l 2,979,120 4/1961 Amburn 297188 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. JAMES T. MCCALL, Examiner. 

1. A DETACHABLE BOOK RACK FOR A CHAIR HAVING REAR LEGS AND AT LEAST ONE CONNECTING RUNG, SAID BOOK RACK COMPRISING A TROUGH OPENING UPWARDLY AND HAVING SPACED GENERALLY PARALLEL FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND A CONNECTING BIGHT CONSTITUTING A BOTTOM AT A LEVEL AT WHICH BOTH ENDS OF THE TROUGH ARE OPEN, THE WALLS AND BOTTOM BEING ONE CONTINUOUS MEMBER AND THE FRONT WALL EXTENDING ABOVE SAID BOTTOM TO A HEIGHT MATERIALLY GREATER THAN THAT OF THE REAR WALL TO GUIDE INTO THE TROUGH THE HAND OF A USER BEHIND THE BOOK RACK, BRACE MEANS CONNECTING THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS AT A LEVEL SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE BIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TROUGH AND CONSTITUTING SOLE MEANS FOR KEEPING THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS RIGIDLY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, DOWNWARDLY OPEN BRACKETS CONNECTED WITH A LOWER PORTION OF THE FRONT WALL OF THE TROUGH AND SHAPED TO STRADDLE THE SAID RUNG OF THE CHAIR FOR SUPPORTING THE TROUGH IN PIVOTAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RUNG, AND UPPER PORTION OF THE FRONT WALL RELEASABLY CONNECTING AN UPPER PORTION OF THE FRONT WALL OF THE TROUGH WITH THE CHAIR FOR SECURING THE TROUGH DETACHABLY AGAINST PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID RUNG. 